And Reuters reveals that China is building underground caverns to hold its expanded strategic oil reserves.

UK: Govt defends flood defences

Environment Agency bosses have responded to criticism for their handling of the flooding crisis that hit the UK this winter, reports the BBC.

And David Cameron, challenged on the floods during Prime Minister’s Questions, insisted that no flood defence scheme has been cut since 2010, reports Business Green.

That isn’t true by the way. As Labour MPs tweeted, the Leeds flood defence scheme was scrapped in 2011.

Onto energy. The FT reports that seven UK coal plants have signed up for EU emissions limits, meaning that the government will probably have to step in to shut them down if it is to fulfil the ‘coal phaseout by 2025′ promised by Amber Rudd late last year.

And as The Times points out, the UK generated more power in 2015 from solar panels than it did from hydro-electric stations – and wind turbines generated more than both of them combined.